Sunday, October 7, 2012

Philatelic Photograph: Sandy Hook Light - Sandy Hook, NJ

Sandy Hook Light is
located near the tip of peninsula in northeast New Jersey that juts northward
into lower New York Harbor.

Long Description:

Sandy Hook light is the oldest continuously operate lighthouse in the United
States. It is located at the Fort Hancock area of Sandy Hook and is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. A plaque attached to the lighthouse
explains its history, purpose, specifications and significance. The plaque is
inscribed:

SANDY HOOK LIGHT {US COAST GUARD INSIGNIA}

THIS
LIGHT WAS COMPLETED IN 1764 AND ISTHE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING
LIGHTHOUSE INTHE UNITED STATES. NEW YORK MERCHANTSPETITIONED THEIR
ASSEMBLY TO RAISE MONEY FOR THELIGHT BY LOTTERIES AND TONNAGE TAXES
ONSHIPS ENTERING NEW YORK. IN 1789 THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT FORMED THE U.S.
LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE, LATERINCORPORATED INTO THE U.S. COAST GUARD, TO
OPERATETHIS LIGHT AND ALL OTHER AIDS TO NAVIGATION IN U.S. WATERS.SANDY
HOOK LIGHT IS 29 FEET IN DIAMETER AT THE BASE AND 15FEET IN DIAMETER AT THE
TOP. THE 45,000 CANDLEPOWER LIGHT IS66 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND CAN BE SEEN
FOR 19 MILES.SANDY HOOK LIGHT IS A REMINDER OF OUR RICH MARITIME HISTORY
AND IS STILL AN IMPORTANT AID TO NAVIGATIONAT THE ENTRANCE TO NEW YORK
HARBOR

DEDICATEDJUNE 11, 1976 U.S. COAST GUARD
The stamp was issued by the United States in 1990 as part of a five stamp
booklet pane depicting coastal lighthouses.

About Me

My interest in travel and exploration took me to all 50 states, much of Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, as well as some of Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico. As I got older my outdoor activities shifted from hiking to orienteering to geocaching to waymarking.